The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy is dragging a bit as the decade comes to a close. Our resident blogger needs to drop a few pounds and get energized for 2010. But before he starts a crash diet, here are six channel blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t write for the week ending Dec. 31, 2009.

Network installation and analysis vendor Fluke Networks has made a quiet end-of-year acquisition, enfolding network analysis tools provider ClearSight Networks into its family. Here are some quick details.

I’m not sure if anyone knows who coined the phrase, but Google certainly pioneered it. “The browser is the OS.” With the launch of Google Chrome and the idea of instant-on cloud computing, there’s a feeling that — yeah — pretty much everything you use a computer for these days revolves around if you’ve actually got an Internet connection. And as long as you’re not a PC Gamer, what do you need your computer to do? It needs to be fast, and get on the Internet. That’s about it. So that got me thinking…what do I do with my Apple G4 Cube (running Mac OS 9) that’s collecting some dust? Classilla gave me the answer.

Juniper Networks sees a bright 2010 for its channel partners as the company continues its emphasis on solutions selling and better marketing efforts, said Frank Vitagliano (pictured), Juniper’s channel chief. Here’s a quick interview with Vitagliano, exploring where Juniper is heading in 2010.

Is Google mulling a more aggressive move into the hardware market with a range of partners? Could Google’s Chrome OS set the stage for a Google Netbook? Buzz about a potential Google Netbook seems to be growing. But will Google really make the move — and what are the implications for solutions providers?

Full disclosure: I own an Amazon Kindle 2. I’ve had it for 3 months now, and I can’t really say enough good things about it. It’s a solid piece of technology that’ll be there for me for years to come. With the recent firmware update that included PDF support and extended battery life with wireless Whispernet on, it’s golden. Two weeks of continuous use with the wireless off, seven days with it on. So how does that compare to the Nook? Here are some thoughts.

Avaya’s channel VP sees 2010 as a turning point for the channel. How so? Carol Neslund, VP of Avaya’s North American Channel, offers some quick thoughts here.

For the last week I’ve been playing around with VMware Fusion 3.01 on my Mac. I’ve had the pleasure of running Windows 7 and I’m here to share a quick little rundown of performance and features. For the geek at heart it’s a software marvel. For the cross platform techno-junky it’s a God-send. And for your customers that want to mix and max Windows and Mac applications, it could be a solid choice. But still, it has its caveats. Here’s the run down.

I’ve had a Google Voice account since it was known as GrandCentral, but I never had much use for it. Until now. When I started blogging regularly I needed a desk phone to speak with my industry sources and with The VAR Guy’s staff. So I figured now is the time to take Google’s VoIP telephony solution for a test run.

Everyone in the technology space is trying to decode the growth strategies represented by software as a service (SaaS) & Cloud.  Oracle partners are no different.  Like most headline garnering tech trends it’s hard to sift through the hyperbole to find firm ground.  So as you pull the wrapper off the 2010 daily planner, take a look at these 6 areas where Oracle partners are finding traction…

The VAR Guy is trading in latte for Eggnog in a few hours. Turn off the WiFi. Unplug the USB. It’s time for our resident blogger to disappear — at least for a few restful hours. But before he goes, here are six channel blog entries The VAR Guy didn’t write for the week ending Dec. 24, 2009.

Google’s sneaking in one more acquisition before the New Year: DocVerse, providers of a Microsoft Office plugin that enables real-time, multi-user collaboration, essentially causing Word, Excel, and Powerpoint to behave like Google Docs. While Google isn’t willing to make a statement on its DocVerse strategy, here are our quick observations.

When Newsweek predicted Microsoft will oust CEO and industry fixture Steve Ballmer in 2010, I tried to ignore the story. Then, ZDnet’s Mary-Jo Foley fired back, saying there’s no way Microsoft’s board will boot Ballmer. Now, I offer my two cents — the case for (and against) Ballmer in 2010.

Despite some misleading and sensationalistic headlines, there’s no need for VARs to worry about a court ruling involving Microsoft Office 2007 and Word 2007. In fact, Microsoft has issued updates for the software in order to comply with a court order. Without the updates, Microsoft would have been barred from selling Office 2007 and Word 2007 starting January 11, 2010. Here’s a recap of the legal issues so far.

Zmanda is the latest open source company to catch Uncle Sam’s attention. Specifically, Zmanda’s open source backup and restore applications are now part of the Synnex GSA (General Services Agreement) schedule — which makes it significantly easier for VARs to offer Zmanda to government agencies. Here’s the scoop.

SugarCRM CEO Larry Augustin loves stretch goals. A case in point: Augustin hopes to double SugarCRM’s revenues in 2010. To get there Augustin will need help from traditional channel partners and emerging Software as a Service (SaaS) partners. Here’s the open source CRM company’s strategy.

Avnet executives converged on New York last week — meeting with Wall Street analysts to recap 2009 and preview 2010. Our blog team caught up with Philip Gallagher (pictured), president of Avnet Technology Solutions. Gallagher offered some broad industry thoughts, but we also asked him some specific questions — about Avnet’s new relationship with Cisco Systems, plus Avnet’s thoughts on the pending Oracle-Sun Microsystems business combo. Here’s  what Gallagher had to say.

Getting into a rhythm is probably one of the most important disciplines a team can grasp to help their company excel. A rhythm is like going to the gym. The first week is really difficult, but if you stick with it, it will eventually pay off. Here’s how to help your company get into a rhythm for 2010.

A quick heads up: F5 Networks has tapped Gary Abad as VP of North America Channel Sales. He reports to global channel chief Dean Darwin. Here are some fast details about the news.

You might know Dataram as that company doing a few cool things in the solid state market. Next up, Dataram is launching a new channel partner program to get more feet on the ground and take their product to market. Here’s the details…

Paul Lidsky, president and chief executive officer of Datalink, a Chanhassen, Minn. VAR, sees an uptick in business in store for 2010. And when customers are ready to buy, Datalink will be ready with a broader array of services to offer, Lidsky said. One reason: The company last week completed the acquisition of Incentra LLC’s reseller business. Here’s the update.

It has been roughly a month since Tech Data launched Open Tech — an open source channel partner initiative. Why is the big distributor interested in the open source market? And how is Open Tech performing so far? I caught up with Tech Data VP Stacy Nethercoat for answers.

 

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To get started offering your own cloud computing services (such as hosted applications), there are two intertwined elements that solutions providers need to put into place. The first is implementing a service delivery platform (SDP). The second fundamental element involves a cloud infrastructure. Here are some more tips for VARs and service providers.